Postal mailers with adjustable dimensions

ABSTRACT

Mailers for securing and protecting stress-sensitive or frangible articles for safe processing by automated postal processing equipment. The mailer may include a first panel adhesively bonded with a second panel to define a pocket between the first and second panels. The pocket is configured to receive an article. The second panel has a first edge and a second edge spaced from the first edge by a height of the second panel or a length of the second panel. The mailer further includes a flap with a first section attached along a fold line to the first edge of the second panel, a second section, and a line of weakening between the first and second sections. The first section is configured to fold along the line of weakening relative to the second section. The first and second sections are configured to fold along the fold line relative to the second panel.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No.11/160,496, filed Jun. 27, 2005, which is a continuation-in-part ofapplication Ser. No. 10/912,990, filed Aug. 6, 2004, which claims thebenefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/525,328, filed Nov. 26,2003, the disclosure of each of which is hereby incorporated byreference herein in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to mailers and, in particular, to mailers that aresuitable for securing and protecting articles, such as stress-sensitiveor frangible articles, for safe processing by automated processingequipment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The constructions of mailpieces and envelopes must conform to specifiedsize and flexiblity requirements. Postal services, like the UnitedStates Postal Service, sort large volumes of mail with high-speedautomated processing equipment having pairs of vertical moving beltsarranged in a network to grip and serially transport individualmailpieces at a speed of up to 40,000 pieces an hour. The moving beltsconvey the mailpieces, which are oriented vertically, at a linearvelocity approaching 500 to 600 feet per minute. Each mailpiece isoriented in a vertical plane such that a two and three-quarters (2¾) tothree (3) inch edge portion of the mailpiece is gripped between themoving belts and the edge portion of the mailpiece is located below anupper edge of the moving belts. An optical scanner provided adjacent tothe moving belts identifies a destination address for each mailpiece.Mailpieces are sorted according to the destination address and routed bythe network of moving belts into assorted bins or stackers.

Changes in direction of transported letter mail in automated processingequipment are accommodated by providing a pulley, roller or drum overwhich the moving belts are trained at the point where the directionchange is to occur. For example, if the mailpiece is moving linearly ina horizontal direction and it is desired to effect a directional changeto a different horizontal direction, a drum mounted for rotation about avertical axis is placed at the change-of-direction point in the path oftravel of the opposed belts between which the mailpiece is gripped fortransport. As the belts move about the rotating drum, the mailpiecetravels through a curved path conforming to the drum periphery andemerges traveling between the moving belts in a new horizontaldirection.

Breakable, frangible or stress-sensitive articles, such as compact disksor mini-compact disks must be packaged inside a mailer. Letter-sizemailers should comply with postal regulations, such as size requirementsand address positioning, while protecting the stress-sensitive articlefrom damage during sorting by the automated processing equipment.Moreover, postal regulations would require the mailer to be flexibleenough to be bent and routed about the circumference of cylindricalpulleys, rollers and drums of the type used in automated processingsystems at locations where directional changes occur in the travel pathof the belts.

Conventional mailers would expose stress-sensitive articles to asignificant risk of damage as the mailer is bent about the circumferenceof the cylindrical roller or drum. As the mailer is conveyed about theexterior of the pulley, roller or drum, the stress-sensitive articlemust curve or bow and will experience a state of tension due to theflexure that can damage or even break the article. Thus, because of thisand other significant shortcomings, conventional letter-sized mailers donot adequately safeguard stress-sensitive articles when handled byautomated processing equipment of the type used by the United StatesPostal Service.

If the dimensions of the mailer exceed a maximum dimension (e.g.,oversized) as governed by postal regulations or the mailer andstress-sensitive article inside the mailer are too rigid to meet theflexibility requirements of letter sorting equipment, the United StatesPostal Service does not treat the mailer as a letter. Instead, themailer is handled as a non-letter or flat by automated equipment thatdoes not require routing about the exterior of a drum. Most massmailings, however, are of pre-sorted, letter-sized mailers that are lessexpensive to mail.

Accordingly, there is a need for mailers and mailer assemblies forarticles that can be handled by automated letter-sized processingequipment and that are fully compliant with postal regulations whilesimultaneously protecting the article from damage during processing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides mailers configured to carry an article such thatthe mailer can be bent and transported in automated processing equipmentwith the article lifted out of contact or substantially out of contactwith the belts, drums and other components of the processing equipment.In particular, the invention provides mailers for articles, such asstress-sensitive or frangible articles that are readily or easilydamaged by stress, configured such that the mailer can be bent andtransported in automated processing equipment without causingstress-related damage to the article. The invention also providesmailers for articles that position the article such that the belts ofthe automated processing equipment do not contact the area of the mailercontaining the article or, alternatively, does not contact the area ofthe mailer overlying more than half of the article. The inventionfurther provides mailers for articles that can ensure damage-freeprocessing by automated processing equipment of the postal service whilesecuring the article during transit from a sender to a recipient.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, an assembly formailing an article comprises an envelope and a mailer adapted to beinserted into the envelope. The mailer includes a first panel, a secondpanel joined to the first panel to define a first edge and a secondedge, a pocket between the first and second panels, an access openingalong a portion of the second edge for accessing the pocket to insertand remove the article, and a flap attached to the second edge andmovable for closing the access opening to the pocket. The mailer furtherincludes a false bottom adapted to space the pocket from the first edgeby an amount sufficient to prevent damage to the article when thearticle is positioned in the pocket and the mailer and the envelope areprocessed by, for example, automated letter-sized postal equipment.

In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, an assembly formailing an article comprises an envelope, a mailer adapted to beinserted into the envelope, and a sleeve positioned inside the pocket ofthe mailer. The mailer includes a first panel, a second panel, a pocketpositioned between the first and second panels, an access opening to thepocket, and a flap attached to the first panel and movable relative tothe second panel for closing the access opening to the pocket. Thesleeve includes a first panel, a second panel joined to the first panelto define a first edge and a second edge, a pocket between the first andsecond panels, an access opening along a portion of the second edge foraccessing the pocket to insert and remove the article, and a falsebottom adapted to space the pocket from the first edge by an amountsufficient to prevent damage to the article when the article ispositioned inside the sleeve, the sleeve is positioned inside the mailerand the sleeve, the mailer, and the envelope are processed by, forexample, automated letter-sized postal equipment.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a method for mailingan article comprises placing the article inside a pocket of a mailingmember having a false bottom adapted to space said pocket from an edgeof the mailing member by an amount sufficient to prevent damage to thearticle during processing. The method further comprises inserting themailing member inside an envelope with an original address visible fromthe exterior of the envelope.

In yet another embodiment, a mailer includes first panel and a secondpanel adhesively bonded with the first panel to define a pocket betweenthe first and second panels. The pocket is configured to receive anarticle. The second panel has a first edge and a second edge spaced fromthe first edge by a height of the second panel or a length of the secondpanel. The mailer further includes a flap with a first section attachedalong a fold line to the first edge of the second panel, a secondsection, and a line of weakening between the first and second sections.The first section is configured to fold along the line of weakeningrelative to the second section. The first and second sections areconfigured to fold along the fold line relative to the second panel.

In yet another embodiment, a method is provided for changing the heightof a mailer including a first panel, a second panel, and a flap with afirst section attached along a fold line to an edge of the second panel,a second section, and a line of weakening between the first section andthe second section. The method includes placing an article inside apocket between the first and second panels and optionally folding thesecond section of the flap about the line of weakening relative to thefirst section so that the second section of the flap contacts the firstpanel. If the second section of the flap is not folded about the line ofweakening, the first and second sections of the flap are folded aboutthe fold line relative to the second panel so that the second section ofthe flap contacts the first panel.

In yet another embodiment, a mailer is provided for an article. Themailer includes a first panel adhesively bonded with a second panel todefine a pocket between the first and second panels. The pocket isconfigured to receive the article. The second panel has a first edge anda second edge spaced from the first edge by a height of the second panelor a length of the second panel. The mailer further includes a flap witha first section attached along a fold line to the first edge of thesecond panel, a second section, and a line of weakening between thefirst section and the second section. The first section is configured tofold along the line of weakening relative to the second section. Thefirst and second sections are configured to fold along the fold linerelative to the second panel.

The features and objectives of the invention will become more readilyapparent from the following Detailed Description taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and,together with a general description of the invention given above, andthe detailed description given below, serve to explain the principles ofthe invention.

FIG. 1 is a rear view of an embodiment of a mailer in accordance withthe invention in an unfolded state;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the mailer of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the folding of the mailer ofFIG. 1 for outbound mailing from a sender to a recipient with theoriginal address visible, the return address hidden, and the resizingflap stowed for original mailing;

FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view taken generally along line 3A-3A inFIG. 3;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 3 illustrating the foldingfor outgoing dispatch from a sender to a recipient;

FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view taken generally along line 4A-4A inFIG. 4;

FIG. 5 is a schematic side view illustrating the mailer of the inventionbeing handled by automated processing equipment at a location along thebelt path;

FIG. 6 is a schematic top view of automated processing equipmentprocessing the mailer of the invention at a location near a drumchanging the direction of the belt path;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the mailer of FIG. 1 shown at a stage offolding for deploying the resizing flap and arranging the mailer panelsso that the return address is visible and the original address ishidden;

FIG. 8 is a view of the mailer of FIG. 1 being handled by postalequipment designed for non-letter sized mailpieces after the resizingflap is deployed for return mailing;

FIG. 9 is a rear view of an embodiment of a mailer in accordance withthe invention in an unfolded state;

FIG. 10 is a front view of the mailer of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrating the folding of the mailer ofFIG. 9 for outbound mailing from a sender to a recipient with theoriginal address visible and the resizing flap stowed for originalmailing;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a mailer in accordance with analternative embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 12A is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of themailer of FIG. 12;

FIG. 12B is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of themailer of FIG. 12;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the mailer ofFIG. 12 without a closing flap being inserted into a separate envelopefor mailing;

FIGS. 14A and 14B are perspective views of a mailer for an article andan envelope in accordance with an alternative embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 14C is a perspective view similar to FIG. 14B in accordance with analternative embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 15A and 15B are front and rear perspective views of a mailer foran article and an envelope in accordance with an alternative embodimentof the invention;

FIG. 15C is a perspective view of the mailer of FIGS. 15A,B configuredfor mailing to a recipient as a mailpiece that is not letter automationcompatible;

FIG. 15D is a perspective view of the mailer of FIGS. 15A,B in aconfiguration suitable for mailing to a recipient as a letterautomation-compatible mailpiece;

FIGS. 16A and 16B are front and rear perspective views of a mailer andan envelope in accordance with an alternative embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 16C is a perspective view similar to FIGS. 16A,B in accordance withan alternative embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 17A is a perspective view of a mailer for an article with a C-foldflap configuration and an envelope in accordance with an alternativeembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 17B is a perspective view similar to FIG. 17A of a mailer for anarticle with a Z-fold flap configuration and an envelope in accordancewith an alternative embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 17C is a perspective view of the mailer of FIG. 16B configured formailing to a recipient at a return address; and

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a mailer for an article with a C-foldflap configuration and an envelope in accordance with an alternativeembodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a mailer 10 of the invention comprisesa generally planar and generally rectangular sheet or blank havingopposite side edges 12 and 14, a top edge 16, a bottom edge 18, a rearside 15 visible in FIG. 1, and a front side 17 visible in FIG. 2. Mailer10 includes a first panel 20, a second panel 22 integrally joined alonga transverse fold line 24 extending between side edges 12 and 14 withthe first panel 20, a third panel 26, and a fourth panel 28 integrallyjoined along a transverse fold line 30 extending between side edges 12and 14 with the third panel 26. The second and third panels 22, 26 arejoined along a transverse fold line 32 extending between side edges 12and 14. The fold lines 24, 30, and 32 are substantially transverse tothe top and bottom edges 16, 18 and have a spaced relationship thatdivides the mailer 10 into panels 20, 22, 26, and 28. The term fold lineis used herein to mean a weakened or scored portion of the blank forpurposes of folding the blank.

Fold lines 24, 30, and 32 define lines of weakness along which panels20, 22, 26, and 28 may be folded. The fold lines 24, 30, and 32 aredefined such that panels 20, 22, 26 and 28 have a preferred foldingdirection. Although not required, the directionality may be provided byappropriately scoring fold lines 24, 30, and 32. The mailer 10 has anopen or unfolded position, shown in FIG. 1, wherein the panels 20, 22,26, and 28 are adjacent to each other in substantially the same planeand a closed or folded position, shown in FIG. 4, wherein the panels 20,22, 26, and 28 are folded non-accordion style into a more compactconfiguration suitable for mailing. The invention contemplates that thetop edge 16 may constitute another fold line, as shown in FIG. 3A, ormay be the nonjoined individual free ends of panels 20 and 38.

With continued reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the mailer 10 includes apouch or pocket 34 defined near the top edge 16 that is configured tohold and protect an article 36. The pocket 34 is defined as a spacebetween the first panel 20 and a fifth panel 38 by adhesively bondingconfronting surface areas of the first and fifth panels 20, 38 withadhesive 40. Panel 38 is adhesively bonded to the rear side 15 of themailer 10. The adhesive 40 defines lateral boundaries for pocket 34 andan edge boundary connecting the lateral boundaries proximate andsubstantially parallel to the top edge 16. The adhesive 40 may have manydifferent configurations as understood by persons of ordinary skill inthe art, such as adhesive beads, adhesive dots, adhesive blocks orstrips, or a thin layer of a coadhesive applied to the panels 20, 38,and is not limited to the illustrated strips.

The distance between the top edge 16 and the edge boundary of pocket 34defines a false bottom, generally indicated by reference numeral 42, forpocket 34. The pocket 34 includes an access opening 44 opposite to thefalse bottom 42 that is oriented to face substantially toward the foldline 24 and that is dimensioned between the lateral boundaries of pocket34 to receive the article 36 therethrough for positioning within pocket34. In certain embodiments contingent upon the size of the article 36,panel 20 is shorter, as measured between top edge 16 and fold line 24,in a direction extending between the top and bottom edges 16 and 18 thanpanels 22, 26, and 28 as measured between adjacent fold lines. The firstand fifth panels 20, 38 may be integral along the top edge 16 and joinedalong a fold line, as shown, or the fifth panel 38 may be a separatesheet from first panel 20. When the mailer 10 is in a folded conditionor state, the pocket 34 and the article 36 are substantiallyinaccessible from the exterior of the mailer 10 without unsealing andunfolding the mailer 10.

The dimensions of the pocket 34 are predetermined to accommodate thedimensions of the article 36 and, if the article 36 is a magnetic oroptical memory storage medium, may be specified to protect thevulnerable storage area of the article 36 from damage. The pocket 34 hasa transverse dimension or width that is slightly greater than onedimension of the article 36 and a depth defined by the false bottom 42that is slightly less than an orthogonal dimension of the article 36.When the article 36 is fully received in pocket 34, the false bottom 42may permit a portion of the article 36 to be visible when the mailer 10is in an unfolded condition. However, the extent of the false bottom 42is chosen to ensure that an upper edge 58 a of transport belts 58 (FIGS.5 and 6) and other pressure-exerting components of the postal processingequipment either does not contact any portion of the article 36 or doesnot contact over half of article 36, depending upon the requirements ofthe application. The false bottom 42 can be omitted in certainembodiments of the invention, depending upon the dimensions of thearticle 36, so that the article 36 abuts, or nearly abuts, the top edge16.

Exemplary articles 36 include stress-sensitive articles formed of amaterial, such as plastic or a polymer, that is susceptible to damageand more specifically, frangible or breakable plastic articles such asstorage media containing information. In the representative embodiment,the article 36 is a disk with a round shape. Common storage mediainclude optical disks, standard compact disks (CD's), or mini-compactdisks (mini-CD's) with at least one information-bearing surface. Thestorage media may carry audio information and/or video information. Atypical optical disk or CD, which is formed of polycarbonate, has adiameter slightly less than 5 inches (about 12 cm) diameter and a hubextending from a diameter of about 1.5 cm (about 0.6″) to about 4.6 cm(1.8″). A typical mini-CD, for example, has a maximum linear dimensionof less than about 3.5 inches. The article 36 may also have aconstruction that is not susceptible to damage when handled by postalprocessing equipment but nonetheless should be lifted out of thebeltpath when processed by postal processing equipment.

Mailer 10 is constructed to substantially comply with United StatesPostal Service regulations governing automation-compatible mailpieces.To that end, the mailer 10 height should be between 6.125 inches and 3.5inches and the mailer 10 length should be between 5 inches and 11.5inches, wherein length is the dimension parallel to an address 46 whenthat address 46 is read and the height is the dimension perpendicular tothe length. The ratio of length to height, or aspect ratio, should bebetween 1.3 and 2.5 and a thickness between 0.007 inch and 0.25 inch.Postal regulations require that the mailer 10 and its contents, article36, an article 36 a or another article, bend easily under 40 pounds ofpressure when transported about an 11-inch diameter cylindrical drum 60,as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

With reference to FIG. 2, the front side 17 of panel 22 includes anoutbound or original address 46, an optional bar code 48, and postage50. The original address 46 is printed such that address 46 is parallelto the longest folded dimension or length of mailer 10. Mailpieces, suchas mailer 10, are usually oriented by postal processing equipment suchthat the original address 46 of each mailpiece 10 faces a consistentdirection and has a consistent vertical orientation. Specifically, thelongest dimension or length of the mailer 10 is aligned parallel to thedirection of motion, indicated generally by arrow 70 (FIG. 5). The frontside 17 of panel 28 may include a return address 52 or may be blank sothat a recipient can provide a return address 52 on panel 28. Thedestination and return addresses 46, 52 are both located on the frontside 17 of the mailer 10.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, mailer 10 further includes a resizingextension or flap 54 joined along a transverse fold line 56 with thefourth panel 28. The resizing flap 54 is located at an oppositelongitudinal end of the mailer 10 from the pocket 34 that receives thearticle 36. The resizing flap 54 is stowed away inside the mailer 10 inits folded state for dispatch from a source (i.e., sender) at theoriginal address 46 to an intended addressee or recipient. An amount ofa low-tack adhesive 57 may be applied to the resizing flap 54 toadhesively secure flap 54 to fourth panel 28 in the stowed position(FIGS. 4 and 4A). In an alternative embodiment, flap 54 may be replacedby a tab-shaped flap 54 a (FIG. 1) that has a dimension measuredparallel to fold line 56 less than a corresponding dimension of panel28. The resizing flap 54 may be deployed from the stowed position to adeployed position (FIG. 7) by compromising low-tack adhesive 57, ifpresent, and unfolding along fold line 56 to extend outwardly from themailer 10, when folded so that return address 52 on panel 28 is visible.

The height of the fourth panel 28, measured between fold lines 30 and 56may be shorter in height (i.e., the dimension in a direction between thetop and bottom ends 16 and 18) than the second and third panels 22, 26.However, the summed height of the fourth panel 28 and the resizing flap54 is greater than the height of either the first panel 20 or the secondpanel 22. The resizing flap 54, when deployed, operates to increase theeffective height of mailer 10 to provide a non-letter or flat mailpiece.In certain embodiments, the resizing flap 54, when deployed, increasesthe height of the mailer 10 to exceed 6-⅛ inches, which is a currentregulatory threshold for classifying mailpieces as letter-sized.However, the invention contemplates that the threshold height is relatedto prospective regulatory guidance and subject to change. Therefore, inaccordance with the invention, the incremental increase in height (i.e.,shorter dimension of mailer 10) provided by the resizing flap 54 is aheight increase adequate to change the height of the mailer 10 from aheight that is letter automation-compatible, when flap 54 is stowed, toa height characterizing flat dimensions under postal regulations, whenflap 54 is deployed.

The resizing flap 54 may be constructed to be maintained in the deployedposition during processing by the postal service. To that end, thelocation of the transverse fold line 56 should be configured to providethe requisite stiffness. More specifically, the location of fold line 56relative to fold line 30 may be selected such that fold line 56 is notproximate to the transverse fold line 32 of the mailer 10 when foldedwith the resizing flap 54 deployed, although the invention is not solimited. When the fold lines 30, 56 are arranged in this manner, theunderlying panel 22 adds support and stiffness to the resizing flap 54.In one specific embodiment, fold line 56 is located one inch from theunderlying transverse fold line 32, when the resizing flap 54 isunfolded and the mailer 10 is folded, in a direction toward a transversefold line 30. In another embodiment, fold line 56 may be approximatealigned with, and overlie, the transverse fold line 32 when the resizingflap 54 deployed.

When the resizing flap 54 is deployed, mailer 10 cannot be handled byletter-sized processing equipment as described herein. Instead, themailer 10 with the deployed resizing flap 54 is handled by flatprocessing equipment.

In use and with reference to FIGS. 1-8, the mailer 10 is folded in anon-accordion style (i.e., surfaces of the panels on opposite sides 15,17 of mailer 10 contact in the folded state, which differs fromaccordion style folding in which each pair of contacting surfaces is onthe same side of the folded item) for mailing to original address 46.With specific reference to FIGS. 3, 3A, 4 and 4A, the article 36 ispositioned through the opening 44 (FIG. 1) into pocket 34. The first andsecond panels 20 and 22 are folded at the fold line 24 such that thearticle 36 and fifth panel 38 are sandwiched between the first andsecond panels 20 and 22. The resizing flap 54 is folded along fold line56 over the fourth panel 28 and the fourth panel 28 is subsequentlyfolded along fold line 30 over the third panel 26 so that flap 54 iscaptured between the third and fourth panels 26, 28 in the folded state.First and second panels 20 and 22 are then folded along fold line 32 sothat the exposed portions of panels 20 and 22 contact the exposedportions of panels 26 and 28 to establish a folded or closed state.

The resizing flap 54 is located in a captured position interposedbetween the third and fourth panels 26 and 28. In the folded state, thearticle 36 is sandwiched between the first and second panels 20 and 22and the article 36 is inaccessible from the exterior of the mailer 10. Asealing member (not shown), such as an adhesive or a tape, is used tosecure the mailer 10 in the folded state. When the mailer 10 is in afolded state, the article 36 is inaccessible from the exterior of themailer 10, protected from damage, and secured from becoming dislodged.

The sender addresses the mailer 10 with at least the original address 46and optional bar code 48 by any conventional technique, such aslabeling, typing or printing. Other information (not shown), such as aFacing Identification Mark (FIM), an indication of the mailer's class,and sender's address, may be provided on the same surface of mailer 10as the original address 46, optional bar code 48, and postage 50.Typically, a group of mailers 10 is readied for bulk mailing andsupplied to the postal service faced and oriented. The mailer 10, in itsfolded state and sealed, is routed as a letter from the sender to therecipient at the original address 46 via the postal service.

FIGS. 5 and 6 schematically illustrate the processing of mailer 10 as anoutbound mailpiece by conventional automated processing equipmentcomprising moving belts, such as transport belts 58, and rotating drums,such as cylindrical drum 60. The cylindrical drum 60 is used to changethe direction of motion of the transport belts 58 and, thereby, toredirect the travel path of mailpieces, such as mailer 10, grippedbetween the transport belts 58. In such conventional automatedprocessing equipment, each transport belt 58 has a width of about 1¾inches to about 2 inches and the cylindrical drum 60 has a diameter ofabout 11 inches and a width of about 3 inches. Typically, a pair oftransport belts 58 grasps a 1¾-inch to 2-inch wide height of the opposedparallel faces of each mailpiece, such as mailer 10, and transport themailer 10 along a travel path for a purpose such as sorting. Thetransport belts 58 are wound about and driven by the cylindrical drums60 such that the mailer 10 must traverse a curved path about thecircumference of cylindrical drum 60 in that portion of the travel path.

The mailer 10 is oriented vertically according to the location oforiginal address 46 and provided to the transport belts 58 for transportwith fold line 32 located between or proximate to belts 58. Fold lines24 and 30 are furthest from the belts 58. The article 36 or, at theleast, the center of the article 36, inside pocket 34 is positionedabove the upper edge 58 a of the transport belts 58 so that neither ofthe transport belts 58 can contact the portion of mailer 10 directlyoverlying more than half of the article 36.

Mailer 10 is bent about the exterior of cylindrical drum 60 to changethe direction of the travel path of mailpieces, such as for stacking themailer 10, along with other mailpieces, in a bin or receiver 72. In thevicinity of the cylindrical drum 60, the mailer 10 is constrainedbetween transport belt 58 and a curved guide rail 74 and subsequentlyfollows a curved path about the outer circumference of the cylindricaldrum 60.

Mailer 10 maintains its integrity during transportation and arrives atthe recipient with the article 36 intact and undamaged as the article 36or at least the center of the article 36 is lifted out of contact withtransfer belts 58. Because the flexing of the region of the mailer 10near the pocket 34 is significantly reduced, the risk of damaging orbreaking the article 36 is significantly reduced when the mailer 10moves in a curved path about the outer circumference of the cylindricaldrum 60. At the destination, the recipient opens the mailer 10 bycompromising the sealing member and unfolding the panels 20, 22, 26 and28 to the unfolded or open state (FIGS. 1 and 2).

After unfolding, printed indicia 45 carried by the rear side 15 will bevisible to the recipient and the article 36 will be accessible forremoval by the recipient. Other types of indicia 45, such as foilstamping, die-cut shapes and embossing, may be provided on the rear side15 or the front side 17 of mailer 10 in addition to printing.

With reference to FIG. 7, the recipient may insert the article 36 intopocket 34, refold the mailer 10 so that the return address 52 is visiblefrom the exterior of the mailer 10, secure the mailer 10 in the foldedcondition, and mail the article 36 to a third party, such as theoriginal sender. To that end, the first and second panels 20 and 22 arefolded at the fold line 24 such that the article 36 and panel 38 aresandwiched between the first and second panels 20 and 22. The resizingflap 54 is deployed by unfolding along transverse fold line 56 so thatresizing flap 54 extends or projects outwardly from panel 28. The firstand second panels 20 and 22 are folded to overlie the third panel 26 andthen the fourth panel 28 and the extended resizing flap 54 are foldedinwardly to cover the original address 46 and thereby, establish thefolded or closed state. The mailer 10 is sealed by aselectively-activated adhesive (not shown), such as a moisture-activatedadhesive or tape. In the folded state, the return address 52 is visible.

As illustrated in FIG. 8, the presence of the deployed resizing flap 54alters (i.e., increases) the height of the mailer 10 so that mailer 10is no longer within the range of dimensions characterizing a letter and,therefore, is rejected by the facer canceller. The mailer 10, in aclosed state and sealed, is routed from the recipient to the postallocation indicated by the return address 52 via the postal service.Because of the increased size of the mailer 10, the mailer 10 isrejected by the facer canceller and instead handled as a flat mailpiece.As a result, the mailer 10 is sorted without bending about drums androllers and is handled as a flat transferred for sorting on a conveyor65. This increases the probability that the article 36 will arriveintact at the location of the return address 52.

Among the potential applications, the mailer 10 may be used, forexample, as a two-way or return mailer for article 36, such as would beuseful for return mailing CD's or DVD's back to the original source. Theinvention contemplates that the mailer 10 may incorporate multiplepockets 34 (FIG. 1) for carrying or transporting multiplestress-sensitive articles 36. Mailer 10 is typically presorted alongwith multiple other mailers 10 for outbound mailing with the address 46readable and faced. Because the mailers 10 are presented to the postalservice in a presorted group, an automated processing machine, calledthe facer canceller, is bypassed during outbound mail processing. Inorienting mailer 10, the facer canceller processes the mailers 10 bothupside down and right side up. When mailer 10 is processed upside down,article 36 is within the beltpath so susceptible to contact by the belts58. For non-sorted mailpieces, the facer canceller faces (i.e., orients)mailpieces through detection of postage 50 on the mailer 10 so that theaddress 52 is readable and may cancel the postage 50 with a postmarkthat shows the post office name and cancelling date.

In transit for return from the recipient to the sender (or another thirdparty), the mailer 10 is typically deposited in a public mail collectionsite. The mailer 10 and many other commingled mailpieces also depositedat the collection site are randomly oriented as a collection of mixedpostal items. The resizing flap 54 increases the dimensions of themailer 10 so that the mailer 10 is too large to fit into the feedingmechanism of the facer canceller. As a result, the mailer 10 is notcompatible with letter sorting equipment and is culled from thecollection of mixed postal items manually or by, for example, the facercanceller itself. The mailer 10 is then handled as a flat mailpiece perpostal regulations during the return mailing so that the mailer 10 isnot exposed to the belts 58 and drums 60 of automated equipment used tohandle letters.

With reference to FIGS. 9 and 10 in which like reference numerals referto like features in FIGS. 1-8 and in accordance with an alternativeembodiment of the invention, a mailer 80 includes a first panel 82, asecond panel 84 integrally joined along a transverse fold line 86extending between side edges 88 and 90 with the first panel 82, and athird panel 92 integrally joined along a transverse fold line 94extending between side edges 88 and 90 with the second panel 84.Although the invention is not so limited, mailer 80 includes resizingflap 54, which may be optionally omitted. The fold lines 86 and 94 aresubstantially parallel to or transverse to the longest or majordimension of mailer 80 and have a spaced relationship to divide themailer 80 into panels 82, 84 and 92. Panel 82 may be shorter, asmeasured between a top edge 96 and fold line 86, in a directionextending between the top edge 96 and a bottom edge 98 than panels 84and 92, as measured between adjacent fold lines.

Mailer 80 includes a pouch or pocket 100, similar to pocket 34 (FIG. 1),defined near the top edge 96 that is configured to hold and protectarticle 36 a, which is similar or identical to article 36. The pocket100 is defined as a space between the first panel 82 and a fourth panel102 adhesively bonded to a rear side 104. Specifically, confrontingsurface areas of the first and fourth panels 82 and 102 are joined byadhesive 105, which defines lateral boundaries for pocket 100 and anedge boundary connecting the lateral boundaries proximate andsubstantially parallel to the top edge 96. The distance between the topedge 96 and the edge boundary defines a false bottom, generallyindicated by reference numeral 106, for pocket 100. The pocket 100includes an access opening 107 opposite to the false bottom 106 that isoriented to face substantially toward the fold line 86 and that isdimensioned between the lateral boundaries of pocket 100 to receive thearticle 36 a therethrough for positioning within pocket 100. Theadhesive may have different configurations, such as adhesive dots,adhesive strips, or a layer of coadhesive applied as a pattern to thepanels 82 and 102. The first and fourth panels 82 and 102 may beintegral along the top edge 96 and joined along a fold line (not shown),or the fourth panel 102 may be a separate piece from the first panel 82.When the mailer 80 is in a folded condition or state, the pocket 100 andthe article 36 a are inaccessible from the exterior of the mailer 80without unsealing and unfolding the mailer 80.

The dimensions of the pocket 100 are predetermined to accommodate thedimensions of the article 36 a. Accordingly, the pocket 100 has atransverse dimension or width that is slightly greater than onedimension of the article 36 a and a depth defined by the false bottom106 that is slightly less than an orthogonal dimension of the article 36a. When the article 36 a is fully received in pocket 100, the falsebottom 106 may permit a portion of the article 36 a to be visible whenthe mailer 80 is in an unfolded condition. However, the positioning ofthe article 36 a in pocket 100, including the width of the false bottom106, is chosen to ensure that the transport belts 58 (FIGS. 5 and 6) andother pressure-exerting components of the postal processing equipment donot contact the half of the article 36 a above an imaginary line 108that is substantially parallel to fold line 86 and that intersects acenter 110 of article 36 a regardless of rotational orientation. Inother words, imaginary line 108 is positioned either above or collinearwith the upper edge 58 a of the transport belts 58. As a result, thepocket 100 is positioned such that only half of article 36 a is locatedbetween the transport belts 58 during processing. The false bottom 106can be omitted in certain embodiments of the invention, depending uponthe dimensions of the article 36 a, so that the article 36 a abuts, ornearly abuts, the top edge 96. The mailer 80 includes original address46, optional bar code 48 and postage 50 on a front side 114 and may alsooptionally include printed indicia 45 on rear side 104.

With reference to FIG. 11, the mailer 80 is folded in a non-accordionstyle for mailing to original address 46 by a procedure similar to theprocedure illustrated for mailer 10 (FIG. 1). The article 36 a ispositioned through the opening 107 into pocket 100. The first and secondpanels 82 and 84 are folded at the fold line 86 such that the article 36a and fourth panel 102 are sandwiched between the first and secondpanels 82 and 84. The resizing flap 54, if present, is folded along foldline 56 over the third panel 92 and the third panel 92 is subsequentlyfolded along fold line 94 over the first panel 82 so that flap 54 iscaptured between the first and third panels 82 and 92 to establish afolded or closed state. In the folded state, the original address 46,bar code 48 and postage 50 are visible. When oriented by postalprocessing equipment, the mailer 80 is consistently oriented accordingto the original address 46 such that the fold lines 56 and 86 areoriented upward and is positioned above the transport belts 58 (FIG. 5)when captured therebetween. In the folded state, the mailer 80 is usedas described above in the context of mailer 10 (FIGS. 1-8).

With reference to FIG. 12 and in accordance with an alternativeembodiment of the invention, a mailer 120 is provided that includes apair of panels 122 and 124 hingeably or foldably joined along atransverse fold line 126 and a smaller optional panel or flap 128hingeably or foldably joined along a transverse edge or fold line 130 topanel 124. In an alternative embodiment, the flap 128 may be omitted sothat two discrete panels 122, 124 collectively form mailer 120. Adhesive132 is applied across an inner surface 122 a, 124 a of panels 122 and124, respectively, so that the mailer 120 is folded to provide a C-foldconfiguration, or panels 122, 124 are otherwise joined, with theconfronting inner surfaces 122 a, 124 a in a contacting relationship.The adhesive 132 establishes an adhesive bond between the inner surfaces122 a, 124 a that secures the panels 122 and 124 together to preventunfolding or separation during postal processing and defines thedimensions of a pocket 134 to surround article 36 a. Adhesive 132 may beany coadhesive that provides an adhesive bond with itself and, hence,does not adhesively bond with the article 36 a when it is pre-positionedbetween the panels 122 and 124 before folding or joining After foldingor joining, the panels 122 and 124 are on opposite sides of article 36 ain a protective spatial relationship, as described above with regard tomailer 10 (FIG. 1) and mailer 80 (FIG. 8). Persons of ordinary skill inthe art will appreciate that article 36 (FIG. 1) and other types ofstress-sensitive articles (not shown) may be held by the mailer 120, aswell as mailers 10 and 80.

A front surface of panels 122, 124, visible when the panels 122, 124 aresecured by adhesive 132, bears original address 46, optional bar code48, postage 50, etc. Flap 128 operates as a sealing flap for mailer 120and may be provided with adhesive or tape to provide the seal.Alternatively, flap 128 may be omitted if the article 36 a is fullyconcealed between panels 122, 124 or flap 128 may be divided into one ormore laterally-spaced tabs 128 a, 128 b that are received inappropriately positioned optional slits or tab slots 129 defined inpanel 122. In one embodiment, the mailer 120 is letter-sized with aheight of about 6 inches.

In an alternative embodiment, the adhesive 132 may be applied to theinner surfaces 122 a, 124 a of panels 122, 124, respectively, in apattern to define pocket 134. This approach may be applicable iftransfer of adhesive 132 to the article 36 a is a concern. Afterpre-positioning the article 36 a between the panels 122 and 124 andfolding, panels 122 and 124 are still on opposite sides of article 36 ain a protective spatial relationship, as described above with regard tomailer 10 (FIG. 1) and mailer 80 (FIG. 8). In yet another alternativeembodiment available in conjunction with the definition of pocket 134,article 36 a may be inserted into a throat or open end of the pocket 134defined between the lateral boundaries established by the pattern ofadhesive 132 after the panels 122, 124 are folded or joined. Panels 122and 124 are on opposite sides of article 36 a in a protective spatialrelationship, as described above with regard to mailer 10 (FIG. 1) andmailer 80 (FIG. 8). As shown in FIG. 12A, pocket 134 may be defined byapplying discrete amounts of adhesive, such as strips or blocks ofadhesive 132 a, to one of the panels 122, 124, for example, panel 124and folding or otherwise joining panels 122, 124.

With continued reference to FIG. 12, article 36 a is positioned relativeto the panels 122, 124 such that, when the panels 122, 124 are foldedfor mailing and oriented for processing with transverse fold line 126downwardly oriented, at least half of the article 36 a will be locatedor lifted above the upper edge 58 a of the transport belts 58 (FIGS. 5and 6) to insure safe processing of article 36 a, as described abovewith regard to mailers 10 (FIG. 1) and 80 (FIG. 8). In other words,imaginary line 108 (FIG. 9) of article 36 a is positioned above theupper edge 58 a of transport belts 58 and is therefore positioned abovethe two and three-quarters (2¾) or three (3) inch edge portion 111 (FIG.5). This lift is provided by adjusting the article location and/or theposition of pocket 134 to define a false bottom 125 that separatesarticle 36 a from fold line 126. In certain embodiments of theinvention, the pocket 134 may be configured to lift a hub 109 of thearticle 36 a out of the beltpath of high-speed automated handlingequipment so that the hub 109 is separated from the spine (e.g., thetransverse fold line 126 in the folded condition or state) by more thanthree (3) inches or, alternatively, by more than two and three-quarters(2¾) inches.

The invention contemplates that adhesive 132, although described as acoadhesive, may have any suitable configuration and arrangement forsecuring article 36 a between panels 122 and 124. For example, theadhesive 132 may be suitably-arranged adhesive dots or stripes, as shownin FIG. 12A. The pocket 134 is configured to lift at least half of thearticle 36 a out of the beltpath of high-speed automated processingequipment. It is appreciated that one or more parallel lines or beads ofadhesive 132 may be applied in conjunction with one or more spaced dotsof adhesive 132 to mailer 120 for purposes of defining the pocket 134.

Although the pocket 134 is depicted as approximately centered along thelength of mailer 120 and equidistant from the side edges of the panels122, 124, the invention contemplates that the pocket 134 may be locatedat other transverse positions by adjusting the configuration andarrangement of the pattern of adhesive 132. Panels 122, 124 may haveequal lengths and heights or may differ in either relative length orrelative height. However, the dimensional difference should not relocatethe pocket 134 to a position susceptible to damage from high-speedautomated processing equipment during transport.

In use and with continued reference to FIG. 12, after the article 36 ais positioned relative to the panels 122 and 124 at a location thatprovides the requisite separation from fold line 126, panel 124 isfolded along fold line 126 into registration with panel 122 or otherwisejoined with panel 122 so that adhesive 132 establishes an adhesive bondwhen pressure is applied. Alternatively, article 36 a may be insertedinto the optional pocket 134 after the panels 122, 124 are joined byadhesive 132. If adhesive 132 is applied in a pattern, the regions onthe panels 122, 124 that lack adhesive 132 will be located inregistration with one another and surround the article 36 a. Flap 128,if present, is folded over panel 122 and sealed. The article 36 a heldinside mailer 120 is inaccessible from the exterior of the mailer 120,protected from damage, and secured from becoming dislodged againstmovement inside the mailer 120. In a procedure similar to that describedfor mailer 10 (FIG. 1), mailer 120, in a closed state and sealed, isrouted outbound from the sender to the destination address 46 via thepostal service, which typically utilizes automated processing equipmentfor sorting the mailer 120 according to the destination address 46. Therecipient opens the mailer 120 by compromising the adhesive 132 and/orthe optional seal provided by flap 128 to gain access to the article 36a.

In certain embodiments, the fold line 130 may be perforated or scored sothat flap 128 is removable from mailer 120. The recipient may use themailer 120 as a protective storage sleeve after receipt. The inventionalso contemplates that the flap 128 may be used as a resizing flap, asdescribed herein for resizing flap 54 (FIGS. 1, 9). The mailer 120 maybe used to return article 36 a to the original sender by, for example,covering the address 46 with a return address label, reinserting article36 a into pocket 134, optionally deploying flap 128 as a resizing flapor using flap 128 to seal the mailer 120, and mailing mailer 120. If theflap 128 is deployed as a resizing flap, the mailer 120 should behandled as a flat mailpiece by the postal service.

With reference to FIG. 12A in which like reference numerals refer tolike features in FIG. 12 and in accordance with an alternativeembodiment of the invention, pocket 134 of the mailer 120 may be definedby discrete amounts of adhesive 132 a applied in a pattern that definesthree boundaries of the pocket 134. Although illustrated as adhesivestrips or blocks, the invention contemplates that adhesive 132 may havethe form of adhesive dots or beads. When the panels 122, 124 are foldedalong fold line 126 and into contact, an adhesive bond is established byadhesive 132 a. Article 36 a may then be inserted into pocket 134 andflap 128, if present, used to seal the mailer 120.

With reference to FIG. 12B in which like reference numerals refer tolike features in FIG. 12 and in accordance with an alternativeembodiment of the invention, the mailer 120 may be provided with twopockets 134 a, 134 b that are positioned side-by-side between panels122, 124. Each of the pockets 134 a, 134 b is dimensioned to receive anarticle 36 a, although the invention is not so limited. The dimensions(height and width) of the mailer 120 is adjusted to accommodate thepresence of two pockets 134 a, 134 b, each of which is separated fromfold line 126 by false bottom 125 dimensioned to lift the held articles36 a out of the beltpath of postal processing equipment. Depending uponthe size and geometry of the article 36 a, it is apparent to persons ofordinary skill that more than two pockets may be defined between thepanels 122, 124. The invention contemplates that any embodiment of themailers and sleeves described herein may be provided with two or morepockets, similar to pockets 134 a, 134 b provided for the version ofmailer 120 shown in FIG. 12B, and that each of these multiple pockets isarranged to lift the held article 36 a out of the beltpath of postalprocessing equipment.

With reference to FIG. 13 in which like reference numerals refer to likefeatures in FIG. 12 and in accordance with an alternative embodiment ofthe invention, the embodiment of the mailer 120 lacking flap 128 may betreated as an insert that is inserted into an envelope 140, which bearsan outbound address 143, and mailed outbound inside the envelope 140.The article 36 a is positioned relative to a first edge 144 of mailer120, which is defined along fold line 126, so that a second edge 146 ofmailer 120, which is opposite to first edge 144 and includes an accessopening 135 to the pocket 134, can be inserted into the envelope 140.The invention contemplates that the access opening 135 may be, forexample, along a side edge so long as the false bottom 125 is remotefrom the flap 142 of the envelope 140. A pusher arm 148 transfers themailer 120 into envelope 140, which is then sealed and mailed. Theenvelope 140 has an enclosed space dimensioned to fully receive themailer 120. The envelope 140 includes a sealable flap 142 that is sealedto the body of the envelope 140 after mailer 120 is inserted.

The distance from edge 144 to the nearest portion of article 36 a isselected by adjusting the location of the adhesive 132 so that thecontacting panels 122, 124 of mailer 120 may be clamped or grippedduring the insertion process, if necessary for processing mailer 120, bya gripper arm (not shown) across the false bottom 125 of the mailer 120defined between bottom edge 144 and the nearest boundary of pocket 134without contacting the article 36 a. This false bottom 125 betweenbottom edge 144 and the nearest portion of article 36 a provides an areafor gripping the mailer 120 without damaging the article 36 a. Panel 122or panel 124 may have a shorter height measured between the bottom andtop edges 144, 146, respectively, so that a portion of the article 36 ais uncovered by the shorter panel and, therefore, exposed and visible.

The location of the address 143 on the envelope 140, the dimensions ofthe mailer 120 and envelope 140, and the height of the false bottom 125are chosen such that the article 36 a will not be damaged by processingwith automated processing equipment, as described herein. Imaginary line108 (FIG. 9) is positioned either above or collinear with the upper edge58 a of the transport belts 58. As a result, the pocket 100 ispositioned such that less than half of article 36 a is located betweenthe transport belts 58 (FIGS. 5 and 6) during processing. In variousspecific embodiments, the mailer 120 and any of the other mailersdescribed below, when treated as an insert, may be sized to fit inside astandard 6″×9″ envelope, a standard 6″×9.5″ envelope, a 6″×11.5″envelope, or any other sized envelope. The mailer 120 defines aprotective sleeve that maintains the article 36 a anchored per postalregulations and that may be inserted into envelope 140 of any size usingexisting insertion technology. Additional inserts (not shown), such ascollateral marketing materials, may be positioned inside envelope 140and mailed along with mailer 120. The recipient may retain the mailer120 after receipt and continue to use the mailer 120 as a protectivestorage sleeve for the article 36 a.

With reference to FIGS. 14A,B in which like reference numerals refer tolike features in FIG. 13 and in accordance with an alternativeembodiment of the invention, the embodiment of the mailer 120 (FIG. 12)bearing flap 128 may also be treated as an insert. When so treated, themailer 120 is inserted into an envelope 150 for outbound mailing as amailing member or assembly 118 for transporting article 36 a.

As shown in FIG. 14A, the article 36 a is inserted through the accessopening 135, which is defined near the fold line 130, into the pocket134 of mailer 120. The pocket 134 and article 36 a are thus positionedbetween edges 144, 146. Various types of conventional inserters, such asswing arm inserters, friction inserters, and plow folders, may be usedto position article 36 a inside pocket 134. Flap 128 is folded overpanel 122 to provide a C-folded arrangement. The invention contemplatesthat the access opening 135 may be, for example, along a side edge solong as the false bottom 125 is remote from the flap 154 of the envelope150 and located beneath the original address 152.

A gripper arm 121, which is movable generally in at least a direction123, includes a clamping arrangement that clamps or grips opposite sidesof the mailer 120 at a location near edge 144 and along the extent offalse bottom 125. Mailer 120 may be removed from a hopper containingmultiple mailers 120, each containing one of the articles 36 a. Thefalse bottom 125 defines a gripping zone or area across which thegripper arm 121 can grip the mailer 120 without damaging the article 36a. The gripper arm 121 re-positions the assembly of the mailer 120 andarticle 36 a for insertion into the envelope 150 (FIG. 14B).

As shown in FIG. 14B, the assembly of the article 36 a and mailer 120 isinserted flap-first into envelope 150. During insertion, the pusher arm148 contacts and pushes the mailer 120 into envelope 150 in a directiongenerally indicated by reference numeral 127. Edge 146, which coincideswith fold line 130 between panel 124 and flap 128, of mailer 120 isinserted first into the envelope 150. After insertion, the false bottom125 near mailer edge 144 is located adjacent to the envelope flap 154and located generally between a fold line 155 joining envelope flap 154with a body of envelope 150 and original address 152.

The envelope 150 bears an outbound or original address 152 that isinverted relative to fold line 155 for envelope flap 154. Afterinsertion and as a consequence of the orientation of the originaladdress 152 relative to the fold line 155, the false bottom 125 ofmailer 120 is located between the original address 152 and the fold line155. In other words, the false bottom 125 is located below the originaladdress 152. Because the original address 152 is inverted, the envelope150 is grasped during processing by letter-size postal equipment alongan envelope edge including envelope flap 154 such that the false bottom125 resides in the grasped region. Preferably, less than half of article36 a is located between the transport belts 58 (FIGS. 5,6) and contactedby transport belts 58 during processing. As a result, article 36 a has asignificantly reduced likelihood of being damaged when processed byautomated letter-sized processing equipment.

The invention contemplates that, for any of the various embodiments ofthe present invention described herein that utilize an envelope such asthe assembly 118 of mailer 120 and envelope 150, the envelope may havean access opening for inserting of the mailer and optional sleeve thatis positioned along any edge of the envelope. For example, envelope 150may have an access opening along a side edge through which the article36 a is inserted into pocket 134. Regardless of the specific envelopeconstruction, the mailer and optional sleeve are inserted into theenvelope such that the false bottom is beneath the original address,such as original address 152 on envelope 150, which lifts the article 36a from the portion of the envelope contacted by letter-size postalprocessing equipment. The mailer and optional sleeve may be insertedflap-first, flap-last, edgewise, etc. without limitation if the mailingaddress and the false bottom bear the proper arrangement andrelationship. In addition, the invention contemplates that the originaladdress in any of the various embodiments of the present inventiondescribed herein may be oriented with any orientation relative to theaccess opening so long as the orientation of the original addressresults in the lift-producing false bottom being located beneath theoriginal address. In other words, the arrangement of the false bottomand the original address either on the envelope or visible through awindow in the envelope orients the envelope during processing, ratherthan the location of the envelope access opening.

The envelope 150 is sealed by closing the flap 154 and using sealingstrip 153 to secure the mailer 120 inside and the assembly consisting ofmailer 120 and envelope 150 is deposited with the postal service fordelivery to a recipient at the original address 152. The assembly ofmailer 120 and envelope 150 is forwarded by the postal service to arecipient at the original address 152. The recipient compromises thesealing strip 153 of envelope 150 to open the envelope 150 and extractsthe mailer 120 from the opened envelope 150 for accessing the article 36a. The used envelope 150 may be discarded after the mailer 120 isextracted.

The recipient may retain the mailer 120 after receipt and continue touse the mailer 120 as a protective storage sleeve for the article 36 a.In this embodiment of the present invention, mailer 120 further includesa return address 157, instead of the original address 46 (FIG. 12), suchthat the mailer 120 can be used by recipient to forward a sealedassembly consisting of the mailer 120 and article 36 a to anotheraddressee, such as the original sender or a third party addressee, atthe return address 157. To that end, the article 36 a is inserted intopocket 134 and flap 128 is moved to close the opening 135 to the pocket134 and sealed.

With reference to FIG. 14C in which like reference numerals refer tolike features in FIG. 14A,B and in accordance with an alternativeembodiment of the invention, the mailer 120 may further include anamount of a substance 156, such as fugitive glue, that is distributedacross the flap 128 at locations suitable to hold the flap 128 inproximate to the panel 122. The flap 128 is C-folded relative to panel122 to close the opening 135 to pocket 134 and the assembly of mailer120 and article 36 a is inserted flap-last into envelope 150 by pusherarm 148. In other words, edge 144 of mailer 120, which coincides withfold line 126 for panels 122, 124, is inserted first into the envelope150. The outbound address 152 on envelope 150 is oriented such that thefalse bottom 125 is between fold line 155 of envelope 150 and theoriginal address 152 and, consequently, the false bottom 125 is locatedbeneath outbound address 152.

The envelope 150 is grasped during processing by letter-size postalequipment along an envelope edge 151 including envelope flap 154 suchthat the false bottom 125 resides in the contacted region. Preferably,less than half of article 36 a is located between the transport belts 58(FIGS. 5,6) and thus contacted during processing. As a result, article36 a has a significantly reduced likelihood of being damaged whenprocessed by automated letter-sized processing equipment. The assemblyof mailer 120 and envelope 150 is forwarded by the postal service to arecipient at the original address 152. The recipient compromises thesealing strip 153 of envelope 150 and extracts the mailer 120 foraccessing the article 36 a. The envelope 150 may be discarded after themailer 120 and article 36 a are extracted therefrom.

With reference to FIGS. 15A-D in which like reference numerals refer tolike features in FIGS. 14A,B and in accordance with an alternativeembodiment of the invention, mailer 120 may further include a flap 160that is enlarged with an extended length in comparison with flap 128(FIGS. 14A,B). Flap 160, which is trapezoidal shaped, is hingeably orfoldably joined along the transverse edge or fold line 130 to panel 124and extends to another transverse edge 162. In a folded configuration,the panels 122, 124 extend between the edge 144 located at fold line 126to the edge 146 located at fold line 130. The invention contemplatesthat the flap 160 may be a separate component joined to panel 124 alongedge 146 as an attached appendage by, for example, adhesive bonding, asopposed to the hinged joint configuration provided by fold line 130.

A line of weakening or latent fold line, such as a score line 164defined by a line of discontinuous cuts or slits, and an adhesive region166 are positioned between fold line 130 and edge 162. The score line164 separates the flap 160 into section 168 bounded by fold line 130 andsection 170 that carries the adhesive region 166. The incrementalheight, H₁, of section 168 is shorter than the incremental height, H₂,of section 170 such that, when folded along score line 164 to form thearrangement shown in FIG. 15C, at least a portion of the adhesive region166 contacts panel 122. Section 170 is larger in surface area thansection 168. The adhesive region 166 may be of a peel and seal typestrip having a removable protective barrier covering pressure-sensitiveadhesive or may be a formulation that is moisture or pressure activated.

As shown in FIGS. 15A,B, article 36 a is inserted into opening 135 ofpocket 134 and flap 160 is folded over panel 122 in direction 172 (i.e.,C-folded). The assembly of the mailer 120 and the article 36 a isinserted flap-first into an envelope 150 in a direction generallyindicated with reference numeral 173 such that the false bottom 125 islocated adjacent to the envelope flap 154. Because the original address152 is inverted, the envelope 150 is grasped by letter-size postalequipment along an envelope edge including envelope flap 154 such thatthe false bottom 125 resides in the grasped region. The assembly ofmailer 120 and envelope 150 is forwarded by the postal service to arecipient at the original address 152.

The recipient compromises the sealing strip 153 of envelope 150,extracts the mailer 120 for accessing the article 36 a, and optionallydiscards the used envelope 150.

As shown in FIG. 15C, the mailer 120 may be configured to forward thearticle 36 a to a recipient at the return address 157 without the use ofenvelope 150. To that end, the article 36 a is inserted into the pocket134 and flap 160 is folded along the score line 164, which yields to anapplied force during the folding operation, such at least a portion ofthe adhesive region 166 contacts panel 122 for adhesively bonding theflap 160 to the panel 122. This seals the article 36 a inside the pocket134 and effectively lengthens the height of the mailer 120 by theincremental height, H₁, of section 168. Because of the increased height,the mailer 120 is not handled by automated letter-sized processingequipment when in route to a recipient at the return address 157 andbypasses this equipment, which could potentially damage the article 36 aduring handling. Flap 160 operates in a manner similar to resizing flap54 (FIGS. 1, 9) for increasing the height of mailer 120.

In certain embodiments, the incremental height, H₁, of section 168 ofthe deployed flap 160 increases the height of the mailer 120 to exceed6-⅛ inches, which is a current regulatory threshold for classifyingmailpieces as letter-sized. However, the invention contemplates that thethreshold height is related to prospective regulatory guidance andsubject to future change. Therefore, in accordance with the presentinvention, the incremental increase in height provided by the flap 160is a height increase adequate to change the height of the mailer 120from a initial height (with the flap 160 stowed) that fits within theenvelope 150 to a final height (when flap 160 is deployed)characterizing flat dimensions under postal regulations.

In alternative embodiments of the invention, the flap 160, as well asresizing flap 54, may be located along a side edge of mailer 120 so thatthe length of the mailer 120 can be extended to prevent handling byletter-sized postal processing equipment. For example, the deployed flap160 may extend the length of mailer 120 to exceed 11-½ inches, which isa current regulatory threshold for classifying mailpieces asletter-sized. Changing the length modifies the aspect ratio of themailer 120 with the same result as changing the height. However, theinvention contemplates that the threshold length is related toprospective regulatory guidance and subject to future change.

The invention also contemplates that an end user may maintain a stock ofany of the mailers described herein, such as mailer 120, and use themailers, at the discretion of the end user, with the resizing flap, suchas flap 160, either undeployed so that mailer is letterautomation-compatible (FIG. 15D), or with the flap 160 deployed (FIG.15C) so that the mailer 120 bypasses automated letter-sized processingequipment and has a height or length characterizing flat dimensionsunder postal regulations. This would provide a flexible stockpile ofarticle mailers 120 that can be selectively configured for handlingeither as a letter-sized mailpiece or as a flat mailpiece. When the flap160 is not deployed (FIG. 15D), the mailer 120 may be sent as aletter-size group of items that are handled collectively as a bulkmailing and, thus, are not exposed to the facer canceller.

With reference to FIGS. 16A,B in which like reference numerals refer tolike features in FIGS. 15A-D and in accordance with an alternativeembodiment of the invention, an assembly 220 including an envelope 174with a transparent or translucent window 176 or an aperture (not shown)in the envelope 174 that is unfilled by a window, a mailer 180 similarto mailer 120 (FIG. 15A), and a sleeve 200 that is inserted into mailer180. Sleeve 200, which is similar to the embodiment of mailer 120 shownin FIG. 13, is configured to receive article 36 a and the assembly ofarticle 36 a and sleeve 200 are inserted into mailer 180 to form anothermailing member or assembly 300 for transporting article 36 a. Envelope174 includes a flap 175 bearing a sealing strip 178 used to seal theenvelope 174 by folding flap 175 along fold line 171 with the sealingstrip 178 activated and forming an adhesive bond between sealing strip178 and a portion of envelope 174.

Mailer 180 differs from mailer 120 (FIG. 15A) in that the false bottom125 (FIG. 15A) is absent. Instead, the sleeve 200 incorporates a falsebottom 202 that positions article 36 a relative to the envelope 174 andmailer 180 such that the article 36 a will not be damaged or, at theleast, is unlikely to be damaged by processing with automated processingequipment, as described herein. False bottom 202 is created byadhesively bonding, or otherwise joining by, for example, stapling, thepanels 204, 206 of the sleeve 200 together in a manner similar to theadhesive bond that creates false bottom 125, as described herein. Thepanels 204, 206 are joined along a fold line 210, which defines an edge209 of the bonded panels 204, 206. Defined between panels 204, 206 ofsleeve 200 is a pocket 208 positioned between edge 209 and an oppositeedge 205. An access opening 207 into pocket 208 is defined along or nearedge 205 of the bonded panels 204, 206. The invention contemplates thatthe access opening 207 to pocket 208 may be defined along a side edge ofthe bonded panels 204, 206, wherein the sleeve 200 has two side edgesjoining edges 205, 209, so long as the pocket 208 is separated from edge209 by false bottom 202. One boundary of the pocket 208 is supplied bythe false bottom 202 and the lateral boundaries of the pocket 208 aredefined by bonding or otherwise joining confronting strip sections 212a, 214 a and 212 b, 214 b of the panels 204, 206 with, for example,adhesive (not shown).

The assembly 220 is formed by inserting the article 36 a through accessopening 207 and at least partially into a pocket 208. One boundary ofthe pocket 208 is supplied by the false bottom 202 and the lateralboundaries of the pocket 208 are defined by bonding or otherwise joiningconfronting strip sections 212 a, 214 a and 212 b, 214 b of the panels204, 206 with, for example, adhesive (not shown). The pocket 208confines the article 36 a and lifts the article 36 a away from edge 210.

Mailer 180 includes panels 181, 182 that are bonded or otherwise joinedalong confronting strip sections 183 a, 184 a and 183 b, 184 b with, forexample, adhesive 185 and joined along a fold line 186 to bound a pocket188. The fold line 186 constitutes one edge 191 of the bonded panels181, 182. A flap 190, which is identical or substantially similar inconstruction and function to flap 160 (FIGS. 15A-D), is attached topanel 181 along a fold line 192, which constitutes a second edge 193 ofthe bonded panels 181, 182. Consequently, flap 190 may be beneficial forusing the mailer 180 to forward the article 36 a to a return address 194(FIG. 16B). The mailer 180 includes an access opening 185 to the pocket188 defined near or along edge 193 through which the article 36 a isinserted into pocket 188 and removed from pocket 188. The inventioncontemplates that the access opening 185 to pocket 188 may be definedalong a different edge of the bonded panels 181, 182, so long as thesleeve 200 is inserted into pocket 188 with a suitable orientation offalse bottom 202.

Mailer 180 also includes a removable label 196 that bears an outbound ororiginal address 198. Initially and as best shown in FIG. 16B, thereturn address 194 is covered or otherwise obscured by the label 196during the outbound mailing so that only the original address 198 isvisible. In one embodiment, the label 196 is a thin trapezoidal sheetof, for example, paper stock that is adhesively bonded in a removablemanner to panel 181 of the mailer 180. For example, the label 196 may beremovably bonded to panel 181 along a edge strip by a low strengthpressure sensitive adhesive. During transfer to the recipient at theoriginal address 198, the envelope protects the removable label 196.

In use, the article 36 a is inserted into the pocket 208 of sleeve 200,which is preferably dimensioned to at least partially and, preferably,fully receive the article 36 a so that the article 36 a is at leastpartially hidden. This assembly is then inserted into the pocket 188 ofmailer 180 in a direction indicated by the single-headed arrow 222 toform another assembly. Pocket 188 is preferably dimensioned to at leastpartially and, preferably, fully receive that sleeve 200 so that thesleeve 200 is at least partially hidden. The orientation of the originaladdress 198 determines the orientation in which the sleeve 200 isinserted into mailer 186. The flap 190 is C-folded in the directionindicated by single-headed arrow 226 so that flap 190 contacts panel182.

This assembly is then inserted flap-first into the envelope 174 with thefold line 192 defining the leading end in a direction indicated by thesingle-headed arrow 224 to create assembly 220. The envelope 174 andmailer 180 are arranged, and the window 176 positioned in envelope 174,such that the original address 198 is visible through the window 176 toan observer outside the envelope. This arrangement also places the falsebottom 202 of the sleeve 200 adjacent to an edge 177 of the envelope174. The false bottom 202 ensures that the article 36 a will not bedamaged by processing with automated processing equipment, as describedherein, when the envelope 174 is contacted across regions near the edge177 by automated postal equipment. The orientation of the originaladdress 198 determines which edge of the envelope 174 is a bottom edge.After the flap 175 of envelope 174 is sealed using sealing strip 178,the envelope 174 is dispatched through the postal service to a recipientat the original address 198.

The recipient at the original address 198 compromises the sealing strip178 to remove the assembly of the article 36 a, the sleeve 200, and themailer 180 and proceeds to remove the article 36 a from the sleeve 200.The envelope 174 may be discarded. The original recipient may forwardthe mailer 180, along with sleeve 200 and article 36 a, through thepostal service to another recipient at the return address 194. To do so,the original recipient removes the label 196 to reveal the returnaddress 194 and, after inserting article 36 a into sleeve 200 andinserting this assembly into mailer 180, deposits the assembly with thepostal service for delivery to the recipient at the return address 194.The flap 190 may be deployed so that the postal service does not handlethe mailer 180 with automated letter-sized equipment, which protectsarticle 36 a against damage during handling and transport. Consequently,the orientation of the sleeve 200 within the mailer 180 does notdetermine article safety during this phase of handling by the postalservice.

With reference to FIG. 16C in which like reference numerals refer tolike features in FIGS. 15A,B and in accordance with an alternativeembodiment of the invention, the label 196 on mailer 180 may comprise apiggyback label having a first panel 230 that is strongly bonded to themailer 180 and a removable second panel 232 that is removably bondedwith panel 230. Panel 230 carries the return address 194 and panel 232carries the original address 198. The label 196 is positioned on themailer 180 such that the original address 198 is visible through window176. This embodiment of the mailer 180 is assembled to form assembly 220and delivered in envelope 174 to the original address 198 by the postalservice as described above. The recipient at the original address 198can forward the mailer 180 to a third party at the return address 194 byremoving panel 232 to reveal the return address 194 and depositing thesealed mailer 180 with the postal service. Flap 190 is deployed toensure that the mailer 180 is not damaged during handling by automatedletter-sized equipment at the postal service.

The invention contemplates, as appreciated by persons of ordinary skillin the art, that the removable label 196 and envelope 170 may be used inconjunction with the embodiments of the present invention shown in FIGS.13, 14A-C and 15A-D.

With reference to FIG. 17A in which like reference numerals refer tolike features in FIGS. 16A,B and in accordance with an alternativeembodiment of the invention, a mailer 240 differs from mailer 180 (FIG.15A) in that the label 196 (FIGS. 16A,B) is absent and in that flap 190(FIGS. 16A,B) include a section 242 that replaces section 170 (FIGS.16A,B). The envelope 174, sleeve 200, and mailer 240 constitute amailing member or assembly 310 for transporting article 36 a. Mailer 240Section 242 is extended in height in comparison with section 170. Anoriginal address 244 is printed directly on section 242 and the returnaddress 194 is printed directly on panel 181 of the mailer 180. Flap 190is C-folded to place the original address 244 at a readable locationvisible through window 176. The mailer 240 is inserted into envelope 174such that the original address 244 is visible through window 176 whenmailed to the original address 244. Mailer 240, containing the assemblyof article 36 a and sleeve 200, operates in a similar manner to mailer180 and sleeve 200 to protect the article 36 a against damage duringhandling by the postal service.

The recipient may optionally obscure the original address 244 with, forexample, a marker and deposit the sealed mailer 180 for dispatch toanother recipient at the return address 194. As explained above, flap190 is configured such that the postal service does not handle theassembly of mailer 240 and sleeve 200 with letter-sized automated postalequipment, so as to protect article 36 a against damage during handlingand transport to a recipient located at the return address 194.

With reference to FIGS. 17B,C in which like reference numerals refer tolike features in FIG. 17A and in accordance with an alternativeembodiment of the invention, the original address 244 may be printed ona surface of section 242 that is visible through window 176 when theflap 190 is Z-folded and the mailer 240 is placed inside envelope 174for outbound mailing to a recipient at the original address 244, asshown in FIG. 17B. The mailer 240 is thus configured for forwarding to arecipient at the return address 194, as shown in FIG. 17C, by reversefolding the flap 190 to assume a C-folded arrangement with panel 182. Inthis C-folded arrangement, the surface of section 242 bearing theoriginal address 244 faces panel 182 so that the original address 244 ishidden.

Flap 190 may then be deployed, at the discretion of the recipient, toforward the article 36 a to another recipient located at the returnaddress 194, as explained above. The deployed flap 190 prevents thepostal service from handling mailer 240 with automated letter-sizedequipment, which protects article 36 a against damage during handlingand transport.

With reference to FIG. 18 in which like reference numerals refer to likefeatures in FIG. 17A and in accordance with an alternative embodiment ofthe invention, a mailer 260 differs from mailer 240 (FIG. 17A) in thatsection 262 is added to section 242 (FIG. 17A). Section 262 is joinedalong a perforated score line 268 with section 242 and is removable fromsection 242. An original address 270 is printed directly on section 262,as opposed to being printed onto section 242. The mailer 260 is insertedinto envelope 174, with the section 262 folded against panel 182. Theoriginal address 270 is positioned on a surface of section 262 so thatoriginal address 270 is visible through window 176 in the C-foldedarrangement. Mailer 260 and sleeve 200 operates in a similar manner tomailer 240 and sleeve 200 to protect the article 36 a against damageduring handling by the postal service. The assembly of sleeve 200,mailer 260, and envelope 174 is deposited in the mail for delivery to arecipient at the original address 270.

The recipient may optionally dispatch the article 36 a to anotherrecipient at the return address 194 (not shown) by removing theremovable section 262 by manipulation of the score line 268 sufficientto scission section 262 along score line 268. As explained above, flap190 is configured such that the postal service does not handle mailer260 with automated letter-sized equipment, so as to protect article 36 aagainst damage during handling and transport. In an alternativeembodiment of the present invention, flap 190 may be Z-folded, so thatsection 242 contacts panel 181 when placed inside envelope 174, tosituate the original address 270 at a location readable through thewindow 174. The folding is similar to the folding of mailer 240 shown inFIG. 17B.

The mailers and sleeves described herein may be formed from any suitablematerial, such as plastic, paper stock or cardboard, and may befabricated from a larger sheet of material by any suitable process, suchas die cutting. The material may have a stiffness sufficient towithstand processing in automated mail processing equipment withoutsustaining significant damage, yet lightweight for purposes ofmanufacturability and to minimize mailing costs.

In accordance with the present invention, the false bottom, whether inone of the mailers of the various embodiments or incorporated into oneof the sleeves of the various embodiments, provides lift thatsignificantly reduces the risk that the pocket-held article will becontacted during postal processing to an extent sufficient to damage thearticle. Generally, regardless of how the mailer, either with or withouta sleeve is inserted into an envelope, the false bottom is beneath theoriginal address. In other words, the false bottom is contacted byregions of the transport belts, spindles, and drums of the processingequipment such that the held article is unlikely to be damaged by theresulting contact.

Generally, the stress-sensitive article s lifted by the false bottomaway from the bottom edge of the mailers constructed in accordance withthe various embodiments of the invention. For example, in FIGS. 12, 12,12A, 13, 14A-C, and 15A-D, the stress sensitive article 36 a is liftedby the false bottom 125 away from the first edge 144 of mailer 120 thatdefines the bottom edge of mailer 120 when processed by postalprocessing equipment. As a result of the lifting, less of thestress-sensitive articles is located between the upper edge 58 a oftransport belts 58 (FIGS. 5 and 6) and a deck 113 (FIG. 5) of themachinery of the postal processing equipment.

The false bottom of the inventive mailers displaces the stress-sensitivearticle (e.g., article 36 or article 36 a) from the bottom edge of themailer (e.g., edge 146 located at fold line 130) so that the falsebottom has a definite, measurable width relative to the bottom edge.When the stress-sensitive article is held in a vertical orientation bythe transport belts 58 (FIGS. 5 and 6), the article is seated in thepocket with a peripheral portion of the article contacting a portion ofthe false bottom. The width of the false bottom defines a minimumdistance by which the exterior of the stress-sensitive article isseparated or lifted from the bottom edge of the mailer. In therepresentative embodiment in which the stress-sensitive article is acircular disk, the minimum distance is defined between the outerdiameter of the circular disk and the bottom edge of the mailer. Forexample, in FIGS. 12, 12, 12A, 13, 14A-C, and 15A-D, the outer diameterof the stress sensitive article 36 a is separated from the first edge144 of mailer 120 by the width of false bottom 125, which is measured asa perpendicular distance that is a portion of the distance between thefirst and second edges 144, 146. Because of the false bottom, the arealocated between the upper edge 58 a of the transport belts 58 (FIGS. 5and 6) and a deck 113 (FIG. 5) of the postal processing machine isreduced in comparison with traditional mailers for stress-sensitivearticles that lack a false bottom.

In various embodiments, the width of the false bottom may be 0.25 inches(¼ inch), 0.5 inches (½ inch), 0.75 inches (¾ inch), or 1 inch. Thereduction in the amount of the article located between the upper edge 58a of the transport belts 58 (FIGS. 5 and 6) and a deck 113 (FIG. 5)reduces the force necessary to bend the stress-sensitive article,therefore making the mailer containing the stress-sensitive article moreflexible. As the width of the false bottom increases, less of thearticle is displaced below the upper edge 58 a of the transport belts 58and the more flexible the mailer carrying the article becomes.

Assuming that the article is a circular disk (like an optical disk, CDor DVD) with a diameter of 120 millimeters (4.724 inches), that thearticle is located in a traditional mailer that lacks a false bottom,that the article contacts the bottom edge of the mailer, and that theupper edge 58 a of transport belts 58 conveying the mailer and articleis 2¾ inches from the deck 113, then an area of 10.58 square inches ofthe article is located below the upper edge 58 a. For a false bottom of0.25 inches (¼ inch) and that the article is fully seated in the pocketso that the false bottom is contacted, the area of the article disposedbelow the upper edge 58 a drops to 9.42 square inches, which is an 11percent reduction in comparison with the traditional mailer. For a falsebottom of 0.5 inches (½ inch), the area of the article disposed belowthe upper edge 58 a is 8.17 square inches, which is a 23 percentreduction in comparison with the traditional mailer. For a false bottomof 0.75 inches (¾ inch), the area of the article disposed below theupper edge 58 a drops further 8.17 square inches, which is a 33 percentreduction in comparison with traditional mailers. For a false bottom of1 inch, the area of the article disposed below the upper edge 58 a is6.36 square inches, which is a 40 percent reduction in comparison withthe traditional mailer.

When more than 50% of the article is located below the upper edge 58 aof the transport belts 58 (FIGS. 5 and 6), the article is forced to bendat the same circumference its entire length perpendicular to thedirection of travel. As the percentage of the article below the upperedge 58 a of the transport belts 58 decreases (i.e., with an increasingwidth for the false bottom), the article begins to assume a conicalshape as the article is forced to bend to change directions within themachine. As the percentage of article located below the upper edge 58 ais reduced, the amount of difference in the circumferences between thebottom and top edges of the article is increased with the top of thedisc having the largest circumference in the conical shape. The greaterthe differential, the less resistance the article poses to the transportbelts 58 and the more flexible the article becomes to process.

While the present invention has been illustrated by the description ofembodiments exemplary thereof, and while the embodiments have beendescribed in considerable detail, they are not intended to restrict orin any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail.Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to thoseskilled in the art. The invention in its broader aspects is thereforenot limited to the specific details, representative apparatus and methodand illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departuresmay be made from such details without departing from the scope or spiritof applicant's general inventive concept.

1. A mailer for an article, the mailer comprising: a first panel; asecond panel adhesively bonded with the first panel to define a pocketbetween the first and second panels, the pocket configured to receivethe article, and the second panel having a first edge and a second edgespaced from the first edge by a height of the second panel or a lengthof the second panel; and a flap including a first section attached alonga fold line to the first edge of the second panel, a second section, anda line of weakening between the first section and the second section,the first section configured to fold along the line of weakeningrelative to the second section, and the first and second sectionsconfigured to fold along the fold line relative to the second panel. 2.The mailer of claim 1 wherein the first section has a first heightmeasured orthogonal to the fold line, the second section has a secondheight measured orthogonal to the fold line, and the first height of thefirst section is shorter than the second height of the second section.3. The mailer of claim 2 wherein a sum of the first height of the firstsection and the height of the second panel is greater than 6 1/8 inches,and the height of the second panel is 6⅛ inches or less.
 4. The mailerof claim 2 wherein a sum of the first height of the first section andthe height of the second panel is greater than a maximum height forUnited States Postal Service regulations governing automation-compatiblemailpieces, and the height of the second panel is less than or equal tothe maximum height for United States Postal Service regulationsgoverning automation-compatible mailpieces.
 5. The mailer of claim 1wherein the mailer is a letter-sized mailpiece under United StatesPostal Service regulations when the first section of the flap is foldedrelative to the fold line, and the mailer is a flat mailpiece under theUnited States Postal Service regulations when the second section of theflap is folded relative to the line of weakening.
 6. The mailer of claim1 wherein the second section of the flap includes an adhesive regionconfigured to adhesively bond the second section of the flap to thefirst panel when the first and second sections of the flap are foldedabout the fold line or when the second section is folded about the lineof weakening such that the adhesive region on the second section of theflap contacts the second panel.
 7. The mailer of claim 6 wherein theadhesive is a pressure-sensitive adhesive, and further comprising: aremovable protective barrier covering the pressure-sensitive adhesive.8. The mailer of claim 1 wherein the pocket has an access openingaccessible along the first edge of the second panel, and the flap isconfigured to fold about the fold line or about the line of weakening toclose the access opening.
 9. The mailer of claim 8 wherein the secondsection of the flap includes an adhesive region configured to adhesivelybond the second section of the flap to the first panel when the firstand second sections of the flap are folded about the fold line or whenthe second section is folded about the line of weakening such that theadhesive region on the second section of the flap contacts the secondpanel.
 10. The mailer of claim 1 wherein the second section of the flaphas a larger surface area than the first section of the flap.
 11. Themailer of claim 1 wherein the first panel has a first surface, thesecond panel has a second surface, and the pocket is disposed betweenthe first surface and the second surface, and further comprising: aplurality of adhesive portions configured to adhesively bond the firstsurface of the first panel with the second surface of the second panel,at least one of the adhesive portions positioned between the first edgeand the pocket to define a false bottom between the article and thefirst edge.
 12. A method for changing the height of a mailer including afirst panel, a second panel, and a flap, the flap including a firstsection attached along a fold line to an edge of the second panel, asecond section, and a line of weakening between the first section andthe second section, the method comprising: placing an article inside apocket between the first and second panels; optionally folding thesecond section of the flap about the line of weakening relative to thefirst section so that the second section of the flap contacts the firstpanel; and if the second section of the flap is not folded about theline of weakening, folding the first and second sections of the flapabout the fold line relative to the second panel so that the secondsection of the flap contacts the first panel.
 13. The method of claim 12wherein the first and second sections of the flap are folded about thefold line after the second section of the flap is optionally foldedabout the line of weakening
 14. The method of claim 12 furthercomprising: adhesively bonding the second section of the flap with thefirst panel.
 15. The method of claim 12 further comprising: if thesecond section of the flap is not folded about the line of weakening,placing the mailer inside an envelope.
 16. The method of claim 15further comprising: removing the mailer from the envelope; folding thesecond section of the flap about the line of weakening; and adhesivelybonding the second section of the flap with the first panel when thesecond section of the flap is folded into contact with the first panel.17. The method of claim 16 wherein the envelope includes an originaladdress and the first panel or the second panel includes a returnaddress.
 18. An assembly for mailing an article, comprising: anenvelope; a mailer adapted to be inserted into the envelope, the mailerincluding a first panel, a second panel, a pocket positioned between thefirst and second panels, an access opening to the pocket, and a flapattached to the first panel and movable relative to the second panel forclosing the access opening to the pocket; and a sleeve positioned insidethe pocket of the mailer, the sleeve including a first panel, a secondpanel joined to the first panel to define a first edge and a secondedge, a pocket between the first and second panels, an access openingalong a portion of the second edge for accessing the pocket to insertand remove the article, and a false bottom adapted to space the pocketfrom the first edge.
 19. The assembly of claim 18 wherein the mailerincludes an original address and the envelope includes a window, theoriginal address being visible through the window when the mailer isinserted into the envelope.
 20. The assembly of claim 10 wherein theflap includes an original address and the envelope includes a window,the original address being visible through the window when the mailer isinserted into the envelope.